Traditionally type types or classes of phones have been used, “hard” and “soft” phone systems. Hard phone systems imply a physical phone with a dial pad and a handset that resides on the desktop; soft phones systems essentially comprise software that resides on a PC. Initially, so-called “hard” phones such as traditional desktop phones have been used. Hard phones are typically hardwired systems that directly make a call. The hardware (and/or software and firmware) of the desktop phone does all the work of placing and controlling the call. The phone may be directly connected to PSDN (public switch). Originally, power was applied to the phone through the phone line as well. Such hard phone systems typically send commands to the PSDN to make the phone operate. This hard phone model is still in operation today, even with more recent telecommunications devices, such as Ethernet phones. Although these phones may run on an Ethernet connection rather than a twisted pair line, the so-called Ethernet phone may still operate in the same manner, in which the local phone “dials” the number out and controls the call locally. Hard phones are an established technology with a relatively high level of reliability and voice quality, but which may be more expensive, necessarily more complicated, and difficult or at least more involved to service.
In contrast, a “soft” phone system may include telecommunications software such as SKYPE™ that may be configured to operate on virtually any computer (processor) system. Thus, the soft phone may be essentially an application software (“app”) that uses a local speaker and microphone and sends commands to a central server that handles and controls the call. Soft phones offer the benefits of relatively low cost and easy installation, with a potentially larger (and easier to maintain/update) set of features, however such systems are notoriously unreliable, and may be more involved to operate, with have an extremely variable sound quality.
Thus, in selecting a phone system to use, a user (or institution) must typically choose between these hard phone and soft phone platforms.
Described herein are telephone systems that may offer many of the advantages of both traditional hard and soft phone platforms, with fewer of the disadvantages. These hybrid phone systems may also offer advantages that neither hard nor soft phones may provide.
Also described herein are phone interface systems and methods of interfacing with one or more users. For example, traditional soft phone and computer user interfaces have allowed the development of ‘drag and drop’ techniques for handling user and control information. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 8,489,646 to Abramson et al., which describes drag and drop methods for the importation of content. Abramson describes the use of a drag and drop method between platforms, including for placing calls by dropping information from an address book application into a communications application, or between other address book applications. However, Abramson does not suggest dragging and dropping within a single application to control the call or features of the call.
Described herein are improved phone systems, including methods and apparatus (e.g., systems and devices, such a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor) for making and controlling calls (e.g., telephone calls), including intuitive user interfaces. These methods and apparatus may address the issues raised herein.